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PassageWoodrow Wilson was referring to the liberal idea of the economic market when he said that the free enterprise system is the most efficient economic system. Maximum freedom means maximum productiveness; our “openness” is to be the measure of our stability. Fascination with this ideal has made Americans defy the “Old World” categories of settled possessiveness versus unsettling deprivation, the cupidity of retention versus the cupidity of seizure, a “status quo” defended or attacked. The United States, it was believed, had no status quo ante. Our only “station” was the turning of a stationary wheel, spinning faster and faster. We did not base our system on property but opportunity—which meant we based it not on stability but on mobility. The more things changed, that is, the more rapidly the wheel turned, the steadier we would be. The conventional picture of class politics is composed of the Haves, who want a stability to keep what they have, and the Have-Nots, who want a touch of instability and change in which to scramble for the things they have not. But Americans imagined a condition in which speculators, self-makers, runners are always using the new opportunities given by our land. These economic leaders (front-runners) would thus be mainly agents of change. The nonstarters were considered the ones who wanted stability, a strong referee to give them some position in the race, a regulative hand to calm manic speculation; an authority that can call things to a halt, begin things again from compensatorily staggered “starting lines.”“Reform” in America has been sterile because it can imagine no change except through the extension of this metaphor of a race, wider inclusion of competitors, “a piece of the action,” as it were, for the disenfranchised. There is no attempt to call off the race. Since our only stability is change, America seems not to honor the quiet work that achieves social interdependence and stability. There is, in our legends, no heroism of the office clerk, no stable industrial work force of the people who actually make the system work. There is no pride in being an employee (Wilson asked for a return to the time when everyone was an employer). There has been no boasting about our social workers—they are merely signs of the system’s failure, of opportunity denied or not taken, of things to be eliminated. We have no pride in our growing interdependence, in the fact that our system can serve others, that we are able to help those in need; empty boasts from the past make us ashamed of our present achievements, make us try to forget or deny them, move away from them. There is no honor but in the Wonderland race we must all run, all trying to win, none winning in the end (for there is no end).

1. The primary purpose of the passage is to(A) criticize the inflexibility of American economic mythology(B) contrast “Old World” and “New World” economic ideologies(C) challenge the integrity of traditional political leaders(D) champion those Americans whom the author deems to be neglected(E) suggest a substitute for the traditional metaphor of a race

2. Which of the following best expresses the author’s main point?(A) Americans’ pride in their jobs continues to give them stamina today.(B) The absence of a status quo ante has undermined United States economic structure.(C) The free enterprise system has been only a useless concept in the United States.(D) The myth of the American free enterprise system is seriously flawed.(E) Fascination with the ideal of “openness” has made Americans a progressive people.

3. In the context of the author’s discussion of regulating change, which of the following could be most probably regarded as a “strong referee” (line 30) in the United States?(A) A school principal(B) A political theorist(C) A federal court judge(D) A social worker(E) A government inspector

4. It can be inferred from the passage that the author most probably thinks that giving the disenfranchised “a piece of the action” (line 38) is(A) a compassionate, if misdirected, legislative measure(B) an example of Americans’ resistance to profound social change(C) an innovative program for genuine social reform(D) a monument to the efforts of industrial reformers(E) a surprisingly “Old World” remedy for social ills

5. Which of the following metaphors could the author most appropriately use to summarize his own assessment of the American economic system (lines 35-60)?(A) A windmill(B) A waterfall(C) A treadmill(D) A gyroscope(E) A bellows

6. It can be inferred from the passage that Woodrow Wilson’s ideas about the economic market(A) encouraged those who “make the system work” (lines 45-46)(B) perpetuated traditional legends about America(C) revealed the prejudices of a man born wealthy(D) foreshadowed the stock market crash of 1929(E) began a tradition of presidential proclamations on economics

Guys, I suffered with this RC. Help with explanations pls. Also, how does Main Point and Primary Purpose differ? I always used to assume them same. _________________

If you know what you're worth, then go out and get what you're worth. But you gotta be willing to take the hits, and not pointing fingers saying you ain't where you wanna be because of anybody! Cowards do that and You're better than that!The path is long, but self-surrender makes it short; the way is difficult, but perfect trust makes it easy. Fire the final bullet only when you are constantly hitting the Bull's eye, till then KEEP PRACTICING.Failure establishes only this, that our determination to succeed was not strong enough.Getting defeated is just a temporary notion, giving it up is what makes it permanent.